What’s for Lunch?
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What’s For Lunch at cunY?
Campaign Against Diabetes City University of New York
how city university of new York canimprove food choices on its campuses and reduce obesity and diabetes.
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What’s for Lunch at cunY?
Stacy, a psychology student at Queens College, is hungry and running late for class. Having spent the afternoon
caring for her two year old daughter while trying to study for an exam, she had little time to eat. As she enters the
cafeteria, she has to decide -- wait in line and pay more than she can afford for a salad and sandwich or pick up the
greasy ready-to-go fries and pizza on the counter in front of her.
In the Bronx, Yolanda, a secretary at Hostos Community College, has just been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. She
is trying hard to find food that will help her to lose weight to avoid developing diabetes. The fresh fruit is bruised
and unappealing, there are no vegetables and almost no whole grain products. The foods that Yolanda’s dietitian
encouraged her to eat are simply unavailable.
John, a pre-med CUNY student and a vegetarian, tries to eat well. Before his 9:00 am class he would like to buy
a small fruit salad, a yogurt, and cereal which will cost $8.00. Considering his financial situation, he opts for the
$2.00 bagel with butter and jelly.
Like so many New Yorkers, CUNY students, faculty and staff live, work and learn in a food environment where the
unhealthy choice is often the easiest choice. It’s time for a change.
cunY campaign against DisabetesFounded in 2006, the CUNY Campaign Against Diabetes (CAD) seeks to strengthen CUNY’s capacity to reverse
the epidemics of obesity and diabetes that threaten New York City’s well-being. Our long-term goals are to
reduce the number of CUNY students, faculty, staff, and their family members with uncontrolled diabetes;
prevent the onset of diabetes and obesity among members of the CUNY community and their families; and
leave the university and New York City better equipped to control
and prevent diabetes. In order to realize CUNY’s potential to
play a role in the prevention of diabetes and obesity and the
management of diabetes, CAD has taken action on several fronts,
including workshops for CUNY students and staff with diabetes,
campaigns to improve food and physical activity opportunities
on CUNY campuses, a peer education program and several policy
conferences and reports. The Campaign is funded by the CUNY
Chancellor’s Office and the New York State Health Foundation.
In this report, we describe food services on CUNY campuses,
highlight successful efforts to improve food at CUNY and identify
ways that students, faculty, staff and administrators can work
together to create an environment at CUNY where healthy food
choices are easy choices.
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Summary 4
Recommendations for CUNY 5
The Big Apple is Getting Bigger 7
Who’s Cooking at CUNY? 9
What’s Cooking at CUNY ? 11
What Should CUNY Be Serving? 13
What do Students Think? 14
What do Faculty and Staff Think? 15
What the University Can Do 16
What Each Campus Can Do 19
What Individuals Can Do 23
Appendix A: Methods 26
Appendix B: Limitations 27
References 28
January 2009 Diabetes action team with nYc councilman Joel rivera
The following CAD interns from Hunter College contributed to this report: Gary Lebovics, Nicole Lund, Angelica
Santana, Carlye Waxman and Suzanne Weinstein. Special thanks to Arlene Spark, EdD, RD (Hunter College)
and Jonathan Deutsch, PhD (Kingsborough Community College) for their thoughtful comments on this report.
Photographs taken by Lorraine Mongiello. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of City University of New York or campaign funders.
This report was produced by the CUNY Campaign Against Diabetes and written by Lorraine Mongiello, MS,
RD, CDE, BC-ADM (CUNY Graduate Center); Nicholas Freudenberg DrPH (Hunter College); and Hollie Jones,
PhD (Medgar Evers College).
tabLe oF contents
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With more than 240,000 degree students, another
220,000 continuing education students and nearly 37,000
faculty and staff on 23 campuses throughout the five
boroughs, CUNY touches the lives of many New Yorkers –
not only students, faculty and staff but also their families,
neighbors and co-workers. As a leading New York City
institution, CUNY has the opportunity, responsibility
and resources to set a new standard for providing our
students, faculty, and employees with healthy food
choices in an environment that supports health.
By finding new ways to make affordable, tasty and
healthy food more available on its campuses, CUNY
can help hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to
make healthier food choices, lose excess weight and
contribute to reversing the epidemics of obesity and
diabetes that threaten the City’s future. In addition,
CUNY can set an example for other universities, public
agencies, employers and communities interested in
taking action to improve health.
In investigating food choices on 18 CUNY campuses, the
Campaign Against Diabetes found several obstacles
to purchasing healthier food. Healthier food items
cost 52% more on average than unhealthy products.
Healthy foods were difficult to locate or appeared
unappealing, whereas less healthy choices like
French fries and soda were more prominently
displayed and more plentiful. Cafeterias required
more time to prepare and serve healthy than
unhealthy options. Students and staff reported
that they often did not have the time or patience to
wait for preparation so opted instead for the quicker
unhealthy choice. Vending machines, often a source
of food for those in need of a quick, convenient snack,
contribute to the lack of available healthy food options on
CUNY campuses. In a survey of 45 vending machines on 15
campuses, we found that 81% of the products sold were
high in calories, fat or sugar.
In a survey of 1,600 students on three CUNY campuses
in Spring 2008, CAD found that 14% of respondents were
obese and 23% overweight, putting them at high risk of
health problems like diabetes and heart disease. This
highlights the importance of improving food choices on
CUNY campuses.
When asked about campus food, 84% of students
supported requiring CUNY cafeterias to post calorie
labels, as chain restaurants are required to do in New
York City. Almost two-thirds of surveyed students
reported that they rarely or never ate at the cafeteria on
their campus. This constitutes an important untapped
market for campus food services. The main reasons
students said they did not use the campus cafeteria
were food was too expensive (22%), they preferred
to bring their own food (15%), the food did not taste
good (11%) or they thought the food was unhealthy (11%).
Almost 30% said that they thought healthy food was
unavailable on their campus.
To improve the food environment at CUNY, to make
it easier for individual students, faculty and staff to
obtain and afford healthier food will require CUNY and
campus administrators, faculty and staff and students to
make some changes. “What’s for Lunch at CUNY” offers
recommendations for initiating health-promoting change
at the university, campus and individual levels.
summarY
What’s for Lunch?
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recommendations for cunY, each of its colleges and everyone who studies or works at the university.
the city university of new York should:
n Mandate that CUNY food vendors meet the New York City Agency Food Standards for healthier food for
all food sold and meals served on campus and campus vending machines.
n Subsidize “Quick & Healthy” daily lunch specials so that every student can find at least a few healthy and
affordable foods every day.
n Eliminate “pouring rights” contracts at CUNY that allow one beverage company to have a monopoly on
that campus in exchange for a payment to the college.
n Require CUNY cafeterias to post menu boards that list the calorie and fat content of the products they sell.
n Consider making selection of a food service vendor a CUNY-wide rather than a campus decision in order
to increase the University’s market influence for healthier more affordable cafeteria food.
each campus should:
n Require all vending machine snacks to contain less than 200 calories and all beverages (other than low
fat milk) to contain no more than 25 calories per 8 ounces.
n Decrease the cost of healthy vending selections through contracts or subsidies.
n Designate spaces for Green Carts, city-licensed food carts that sell fresh fruits and vegetables, on or
near all campuses.
n Provide a place to eat on campus that is comfortable, pleasant
and clean.
n Require food service vendors to offer healthy food options
in cafeterias at an affordable price.
n Involve students and employees in menu planning.
n Provide and maintain water coolers and microwave ovens in
the cafeteria on each campus.
n Require nutrition education in all freshman seminar classes.
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students, Faculty and staff should:
n Eat less and move more, good advice for all Americans.
n Don’t drink your calories: choose water instead of sweetened beverages.
n Enjoy plenty of fruits and vegetables each day.
n At the campus cafeteria, visit the salad bar, create healthier sandwiches or consider having soup.
If these foods aren’t available, ask why.
n Become a food activist: ask your campus administrators to negotiate contracts with food vendors that
make healthier more affordable options available on your campus, get rid of pouring rights contracts
with soda companies and make healthier choices available in vending machines.
n Join the CUNY Campaign Against Diabetes. We need your ideas, energy and commitment!
What’s for Lunch?
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the big apple is Getting bigger and bigger!
New York City is in the midst of an obesity epidemic.
More than half of adult New Yorkers are overweight
(34%) or obese (22%), as are nearly half of all
elementary school children (43%).1 These surging
obesity rates have spawned a parallel epidemic of
type 2 diabetes. Researchers have calculated that
each two pound increase in body weight increases
the risk for developing diabetes by 4.5%.2 As a result
the prevalence of type 2 diabetes has more than
doubled in the past decade. More than a half million
adult New Yorkers have diagnosed diabetes and an additional 200,000 have the disease and don’t know it. Uncontrolled
diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, heart disease, end-stage renal disease, and nontraumatic lower-extremity
amputations.3 In addition to diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, respiratory
dysfunction, gout, osteoarthritis, and some cancers are other devastating chronic diseases linked to obesity.4 As a result,
for the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children in America may have shorter life expectancies
than their parents.5
how Did this happen?
In the simplest terms, we are taking in more calories than we are expending. New Yorkers are eating more and
moving less than ever before. However, the reasons are far more complicated and need to be examined from
many levels, including biological, social and economic. While the choice of what to eat and how much to eat is
ultimately up to the individual, environmental influences are now widely recognized as critical contributors
to these decisions.
Tempting fatty, high calorie foods beckon us to overeat wherever we turn. Food consumption is dictated
by cravings, emotions, social situations and environmental conditions that lead many of us to make choices
that can undermine health. The characteristics of neighborhoods, workplaces and schools all contribute
to individual food choices.6,7,8,9,10 These characteristics include income level, the built environment,
access to healthy food and exposure to marketing. It is well known that the closer New Yorkers live to
fast food restaurants and unhealthy food stores, the more likely they are to be overweight.11 Supersized
and super calorie restaurant foods are fattening us up. In New York City, almost everyone lives near
a fast food restaurant. A recent survey of 13,000 New Yorkers revealed that all of the respondents lived
within a half-mile of an unhealthy food outlet, with an average density of 50 outlets per square mile,
while only 82% lived within a half-mile of a healthy food outlet, with an average density of only six healthy
outlets per square mile.12 Many studies show that poor people, blacks and Latinos live in neighborhoods
with even fewer healthy food choices contributing to their higher rates of obesity and diabetes.13,14
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The pervasive and aggressive marketing of low cost,
fatty, high calorie food also has a big influence on
food decisions. Overeating has become the norm
and the obstacles that individuals face when tying
to eat well are often overwhelming. To reverse
the obesity and diabetes epidemics, not only
individuals but also government, employers and
food businesses will need to change their practices
to support rather than hinder individuals’ efforts to
eat well. Increasingly, public health officials and researchers recognize that the road out of obesity will be
policy changes that create healthier food and physical activity environments that make it easy for people to
“choose health”.16 So what does all this mean for the City University of New York, the nation’s largest public
urban university?
Let’s start at cunY!
With more than 240,000 degree students, another 220,000 continuing education students and nearly 37,000
faculty and staff on 23 campuses throughout the five boroughs, CUNY touches the lives of many New Yorkers
– not only students, faculty and staff but also their families, neighbors and co-workers.
As a leading New York City institution, CUNY has the opportunity, the responsibility and the resources to set
a new standard for providing our students, faculty and employees with an environment that supports
optimal health.
By finding new ways to make affordable, tasty and healthy food more available on campuses, we can help
many New Yorkers who spend numerous hours a day on campus to make healthier food choices, lose excess
weight and therefore contribute to reversing the epidemics of obesity and diabetes that threaten the City’s
future. In addition, CUNY can set an example for other universities, employers and communities by taking
action to improve health.
This report describes the current food environment within CUNY. It also presents data on student food choices
and attitudes based on a 2008 survey of 1,600 CUNY students at three CUNY campuses (Hostos Community
College, Hunter College and Medgar Evers College). Finally, it suggests changes in policies and practices
that will promote better food choices at CUNY. In subsequent reports, we will describe opportunities for
increased physical activity on CUNY campuses.
Ultimately, our goal is to make it easier for the tens of thousands of New Yorkers who are educated, work
or teach at CUNY to eat well, be fit and stay healthy.
the Yearly toll of Diabetes in new York city
Hospitalizations: 20,000
Amputations from diabetes: 3,000
New cases of kidney failure: 1,400
Diabetes-related deaths: 4,700
Hospitalization costs alone: $480 million
Total cost: ~$6.5 billion
NYC DOH&MH, 2007
What’s for Lunch?
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Who’s cooking at cunY?
Each CUNY campus chooses a vendor to
operate its cafeterias, kiosks, catering services
and vending machines. Generally, a single
company is granted exclusive rights to provide
these varied services to the entire campus,
although several schools have entered into
separate agreements for food provision, snack
food vending and/or beverage vending. Food
services at some campuses such as Medgar
Evers College are self-operated by the campus.
In reviewing bids from various food vendors, campus administrators must balance convenience, sales volume,
affordability, nutrition and the preferences and dietary needs of diverse student, faculty and staff populations.
Administrators must also consider the financial viability of bidders, their past success in performing similar
services for other institutions and opportunities for student employment by the food service provider. The
corporations winning contracts with CUNY campuses get a percentage of the gross
sales from retail food sales, vending sales and catering sales, or a guaranteed annual
payment, regardless of the amount of sales, whichever is greater. Since these contracts
also provide revenues for colleges, administrators consider the expected returns to the
college.
Additionally, many CUNY campuses are party to an agreement with either Pepsi-Cola or Coca-Cola. In these
agreements, the beverage companies pay for the right to exclusive access to CUNY faculty and students.
These “pouring rights” contracts take precedence over any other terms in the contracts with vendors. For
example, New York City Technical College (NYCT) has a pouring right contract with Coca Cola and a food
services contract with Compass Group USA that requires Compass to serve only Coke at NYCT. Tables 1 and
2 lists contractors currently providing food services on CUNY campuses.
As New York and CUNY enter a financial
slow down, it might be tempting for college
administrators to consider generating more
revenues by making it easier for vendors to
increase sales of unhealthy but profitable
foods. Such a choice would be penny wise and
pound foolish, risking the future health of CUNY
students, faculty and staff.
“The daily hot food,
you don’t even know
what you are looking
at sometimes.”
Lehman Student
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tabLe 1: cunY FooDservice venDors, FaLL 2009
vendor contact info operation campus
metropolitan Food service
www.metropolitanfoodservice.com 5550 Merrick Road Massapequa, NY 11758516 797-7066
A Long Island based regional company serving several local campuses.
Brooklyn City Queensborough
culinart
www.culinartinc.com/175 Sunnyside Blvd. Plainview, NY 11803516 473-2700
A large national company that serves food at 160 institutions in the Northeast and in California.
Bronx York
Panda house2001 Oriental Blvd.Brooklyn, NY 11235718 368-3686
A small independently owned company.
Kingsborough
mbJ Food services
445 W 59th St.New York, NY 10019212 582-1629
A privately owned New York City restaurant and catering business which has been in operation for over 30 years.
Borough of Manhattan Hostos John Jay LaGuardia
restaurant associates
www.restaurantassociates.com/ 330 Fifth AvenueNew York, NY 10001212 613-5500
A New York City-based company with 150 locations nationwide. Graduate Center
avi Food systems
www.avifoodsystems.com/2590 Elm Road N.E.Warren, Ohio 44483 330 372-6000
The largest independently owned and operated food service company in the US.
Baruch Hunter*
compass Group usa (chartwells)
www.cgnad.com/ 2400 Yorkmont RoadCharlotte, NC 28217
A UK-based $9 billion organization with associates throughout the US, Mexico and Canada.
New York City Tech
nayyarsons corporation
3366 Hillside Avenue Suite 11 New Hyde Park, NY 11040-2730 516 741-9265
A Long Island food service establishment for more than 25 years with 12 government accounts.
Lehman#
self-operates Medgar Evers College of Staten Island
*hunter was operated by sodexo, +Queens was operated by metropolitan and #Lehman was operated by Panda house at the time of the survey
in the spring of 2009.
tabLe 2: cunY snack anD beveraGe venDinG contracts
cc vending coca-cola enterprises
John JayLehman
Medgar EversQueensborough
New York City Technical CollegeCollege of Staten Island
What’s for Lunch?
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What’s cooking at cunY?
What kinds of foods are being served and offered in cafeterias and vending
machines at CUNY? To find out just what is cooking at CUNY, we visited
cafeterias and vending machines across 18 CUNY campuses and rated their
lunch time food options and their vending machine selections. Using The 2005
Dietary Guidelines for Americans,4 raters judged items sold in the cafeteria as
“healthy” or “unhealthy”. While this rating system oversimplifies the range of
characteristics of any single food, by assigning foods into these categories it
allowed surveyors to rate facilities in a more systematic way. Healthier foods
include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain products and low fat dairy
products. Unhealthy options were high in sugar, fat, salt or calories. Table
3 list examples of healthy and unhealthy options found at CUNY. Raters also compared the prices of more and less
healthy options on each campus. See Appendices A and B for detailed descriptions of our methods and limitations.
chanGinG venDors to imProve FooD choices: hunter coLLeGeIn Fall 2009, a campus administration committed to healthier food and student advocacy combined to lead Hunter College to
award a new food service contract to AVI Food Systems. In the previous two years, several student groups had complained
about food choices in the campus cafeteria and urged the administration to change vendors. The goal was to provide a range
of healthier food choices in the student cafeteria and faculty dining room. Conan Freud, Hunter’s Associate Vice President
for Finance & Administration, described AVI Food Systems, the new vendor, as “a family-owned and operated company
(that) is committed to providing healthy food choices in an environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable way.”
In its contract with Hunter, the company promised to work with the College to create a rooftop garden to grow herbs and vegetables
for its menus; introduce a tray-less food service program to limit waste; and to provide drinking fountains with paper cups made
from recycled materials. Hunter also changed its vending machines to offer not just standard products, but alternatives that
are lower in fat, salt, sugar and calories. Unfortunately, the new vendor initially cut benefits for its employees, a move that was
later reversed. This illustrates the complexity of balancing cost, nutritional and social justice concerns in selecting a food vendor.
This story is an example of the active role a college can take to make healthier food available and the important role of
students in convincing college administrators to make a change.
tabLe 3: examPLes oF heaLthY anD unheaLthY choices FounD at cunY caFeterias
healthy choice unhealthy choiceGrilled Chicken Tuna Salad
Sushi Gyro
Roasted Vegetables Onion Rings
Vegetarian Lentil Soup Cream of Broccoli Soup
Whole Wheat Roll Corn Muffin
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Our findings show that the majority of the meals currently offered at all CUNY cafeterias are composed
of high fat, low fiber, energy-dense foods, typical of the poor diet consumed by most Americans (see
Table 4). Fresh and appealing fruits and vegetable were scarce, none of the 18 schools provided free,
easily accessible tap water and healthy choices from vending machines were very rare. Table 5 lists the
grade that each cafeteria received based on the ten selected criteria at the bottom of the table.
Our survey identified three significant obstacles to purchasing healthier food:
n It was discovered that healthy food items we
selected cost 52% more on average than the
unhealthy food items sold at CUNY.
n The healthy food was not easy to locate or
looked unappealing. Raters reported that it
was common to see the less healthy choices
first because they were more prominently
displayed and more plentiful.
n Surveyors discovered that cafeterias
required more time to serve healthy than
unhealthy food. CUNY students and staff
reported that they often did not have the
time or patience to wait for preparation and
instead opted for the quicker unhealthy
choice over the healthy meal.
key Findings from Food service and vending machine survey
n 74% of hot food items served were rated as being unhealthy
n 53% of cold food items served were rated as being unhealthy
n 36% of the cafeterias did not have a salad bar*
n 81% of vending machine selections were low in fiber and high in fat or calories
n Foods rated as healthy cost 52% more than those rated as unhealthy
*Salad bars offer customers more choice, but we acknowledge that packaged salads, which are less expensive for food vendors, can also
increase the availability of fresh vegetables.
What’s for Lunch?
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What should cunY be serving?
In the last several years, scientists and government agencies issued several reports recommending changes
in the American diet to improve health and reduce obesity and diabetes. The Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the latest version of the Dietary Guidelines
for American in 20054 These guidelines are based on the most recent scientific evidence and were created in an
effort to provide advice to promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases through diet and physical
activity. In general, the guidelines recommend that Americans eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, more whole
grain and low fat dairy products, less processed food and less food high in calories, fat, sugar and salt.
In a second report “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity”, HHS1, describes
a detailed action plan to combat the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity17. Schools are identified as a key
setting for public health strategies to combat this problem. The report advises that public health approaches in schools
should extend beyond health and physical education to include school policy. Although the report’s strategies are aimed
primarily towards pre-university institutions, there are several recommendations that could make an impact at the
college level. These include adopting policies ensuring that all foods and beverages available on school campuses and
at school events contribute toward eating patterns that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines and that healthy
snacks and foods are provided in vending machines, school stores and other venues within the school’s control.
tabLe 4: summarY oF caFeteria surveY FinDinGs on FooD anD cost, sPrinG/FaLL 2008
school% healthy hot food
items
% healthy cold food
items
% healthy salad bar
items
average price
unhealthy item
average price
healthy item
baruch 31% 86% 59% $1.92 $2.26
bmcc 24% 35% 76% $1.74 $3.33
bronx community 17% 17% 0% $2.30 $3.43
brooklyn 32% 50% 74% $2.10 $2.65
city 25% 52% 85% $1.68 $2.61
Graduate center 47% 61% 73% $2.93 $4.03
hostos 38% 50%* 75% $2.00 $3.25
hunter 49% 55% 0% $2.55 $4.03
hunter, brookdale no hot food 20% 0% $2.41 $3.73
John Jay 23% 42% 86% $1.76 $2.40
kingsborough 43% 58% 73% $2.35 $3.26
Laguardia 10% 55% 0% $1.80 $3.36
Lehman 20% 30% 0% $2.38 $3.18
medgar evers 16% 42% 0% $2.25 $3.17
Queens 23% 80% 82% $1.82 $2.84
Queensborough 13% 44% 89% $1.85 $2.94
staten island 14% 65% 0% $2.52 $3.94
York 22% 50% 91% $1.96 $3.67 average 26% 47% 48% $2.13 $3.23
*only 4 cold items available at time of visit
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What Do students think?
To find out about CUNY students’ food choices and their opinions about campus food, the CUNY Campaign Against
Diabetes surveyed 1,600 students at three CUNY campuses. Hostos Community College, Medgar Evers College and
Hunter College were selected for their geographic, ethnic/racial and academic diversity. Since what people think about
their food choices influences what they choose to eat, we hoped that a better understanding of students’
attitudes and behaviors might help to develop programs and policies to improve
food choices.
The survey produced some disturbing findings. First, using the self-reports
of height and weight, 14% of our students were defined as obese and 23%
were overweight. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on
height and weight that is used to assess an individual’s status. A BMI of 30 or
more suggests obesity, a BMI of 25 to 29.9 indicates a person is overweight
and a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy. People with higher BMIs are
at increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and other health problems. Thus,
about 37% of CUNY students have BMIs that put them at some elevated health risk.
tabLe 5: caFeteria GraDes baseD on 10 criteria*, sPrinG 2009
school Grade
Brooklyn 90
Baruch 80
Graduate Center 80
City 70
Hunter 70
Hostos 70
York 70
John Jay 70
BMCC 60
Kingsborough 60
LaGuardia 60
Staten Island 60
Queensborough 60
Queens 60
Lehman 50
Medgar Evers 40
Hunter (Brookdale) 40
Bronx Community 30
*10 items each worth 10 points: (1) % healthy hot food above university average, (2) % healthy cold food above the university average, (3) % healthy salad bar items above university average, (4) free and easily accessible water, (5) cleanliness rated average, good or excellent, (6) fat free/low fat dressing, (7) fresh fruit, (8) skim or 1% milk, (9) 2 or more vegetables available (other than salad bar and French fries), (10) healthy food priced below campus average.
What’s for Lunch?
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Second, very few CUNY students reported eating
the kinds of food or getting the exercise
recommended to maintain health. Only 18%
reported eating either fruits or vegetables at least
once a day and just 16% said they exercised for four
or more hours a week.
Third, 63% of students reported that they rarely
or never ate at the cafeteria on their campus. The
main reasons students said they did not use the
campus cafeteria was that food was too expensive
(22%), they preferred to bring their own food (15%),
the food did not taste good (11%) or they thought the
food was unhealthy (11%). Almost 30% said that they thought healthy food was unavailable on their campus.
These findings suggest that improvements in the quality, variety and price of campus foods could lead to
improvements in the diets of CUNY students and increased revenues for food service vendors.
We also asked students their opinions about campus policies and programs related to health. Eighty-five
percent of students thought that CUNY should post the calorie content of food served in its cafeterias, as
chain restaurants in New York are required to do. Students were more divided on the question of whether
CUNY should ban the sale of unhealthy foods on campus, as many public school systems are doing. A third of
the students agreed, 43% disagreed and 23% were undecided. Many students showed support for a variety of
campus-based programs: 58% thought the campus should offer weight loss/weight management workshops,
44% said they would participate in a group exercise program, 42% would attend weight management workshop
and 30% said they would participate in chronic disease management workshops. These survey results provide
evidence that many CUNY students would welcome assistance in making healthier food choices.
What do Faculty & staff think?
The CUNY Campaign also conducted focus groups with faculty and staff at the
three campuses. Echoing responses made by students, faculty and staff reported
that it is difficult to find healthy food on or off campus and that healthy food is
more expensive than unhealthy food. They suggested adding salad bars to campus
cafeterias, improving food choices in campus vending machines and better
maintaining CUNY’s drinking water fountains so alternatives to soda were more
readily available. These preliminary findings suggest that CUNY’s faculty and
staff support healthier and more affordable food on campus.
“Sodexo makes
absolutely no effort
to provide us with
nutrition information,
I have to guess and
that’s a problem with
my blood pressure.”
Hunter Faculty
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What can be Done?
To create a food environment that makes healthy choices easy choices, the CUNY administration, campuses,
student organizations and individual students, faculty and staff will need to take action. We believe that CUNY has
the potential –and the responsibility– to set a standard for a healthy university that provides its students, faculty
and staff with nutritious and affordable food. To do so, we suggest specific steps the University, campuses and
individuals can take.
What the city university of new York as a Whole can Do:
Mandate that CUNY vendors meet the city agency Food standards for all food sold and meals
served on campus.
In September 2008, Mayor Bloomberg signed Executive Order 122 requiring most City agencies and contractors
who serve food in New York City to adhere to the City Agency Food Standards18, shown in Table 6. The goal of these
standards is to improve the health of all New Yorkers served by City agencies. The guidelines are part of the City’s effort
to reduce obesity in school children, the most frequent consumers of City food, and to reduce obesity and high blood
pressure in adults and seniors who regularly consume publicly-purchased food.
Because CUNY is a quasi-public agency run by the City and State, it is not required by law to follow these standards.
However, since the intent of the guidelines is to improve the food environment in public facilities, the CUNY Board of
Trustees could extend the health protection these standards offer to the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who
study and work at CUNY, thus making an important contribution to the City’s effort to reduce obesity and diabetes.
tabLe 6: seLecteD citY aGencY FooD stanDarDs 18
nutrient/Food standardSodium 480 mg or less per individual item
Dairy Low fat or fat free
Beverages Lower calorie (<25 calories per 8 oz serving)
Juices 100% fruit juice
Meal standards 2 servings of fruits and vegetables per meal
Fat No trans fat items or deep fried items
Breads, pastas, grains Whole grain or 2g or more of fiber per serving
Cereals 3g or more of fiber per serving
What’s for Lunch?
n 17 n
Subsidize a “Quick and Healthy” daily special.
A common finding throughout all CUNY cafeterias was that students and employees had to wait for healthy options to
be prepared whereas the fries, burgers and pizza were more readily available. In a survey of 2,000 working Americans,
convenience was the most import consideration when making a lunch food choice at work.19 As one CUNY employee
remarked, “When I’m at work, I am busy working. I don’t have the time to wait for my chicken to be grilled so I grab
the fries and head back to my desk.” To address this problem the CUNY administration could require food vendors in
each cafeteria to offer at least one daily special that is readily available, tasty, healthy and no more expensive than less
healthy options. To encourage vendors to make this option a priority and to keep its price affordable, CUNY could use
food service vendor revenues to subsidize the healthy choice.
tabLe 7: samPLe cost comParison oF heaLthY anD unheaLthY items at tWo communitY coLLeGes
unhealthy items amount cost healthy items amount cost
hamburger 1 2.00 veggie burger 1 2.75
chicken nuggets 1 serving 2.50 grilled chicken sandwich 1 3.75
grilled cheese 1 1.95 turkey wrap 1 4.75
French fries 1 medium 1.75 side salad 1 serving 4.95
potato chips 1 bag .81 banana 1 .60
Average Price/Item: $1.80 unhealthy Average Price/Item: $3.36 healthy
unhealthy items amount cost healthy items amount cost
pizza 1 slice 2.00 turkey sandwich 1 4.00
hamburger 1 2.00 grilled chicken sandwich 1 4.00
fried chicken 3 pieces 4.85 salad w/grilled chicken 1 serving 5.85
French fries 1 medium 1.65 small salad 1 serving 2.55
potato chips 1 bag .98 apple 1 .76
Average Price/Item: $2.30 unhealthy Average Price/Item: $3.43 healthy
n 18 n
Require CUNY cafterias to post menu boards that list fat and calorie contents of items.
In March 2008, New York City passed legislation which requires chain restaurants with
at least 15 outlets to list calories on their menu.20 The Department of Health argued,
“calorie information provided at the time of food selection would enable New Yorkers
to make more informed, healthier choices”.21 It has been shown that placement of
calorie information at point of purchase is more effective than the traditional methods
of providing calorie information and may be associated with lower calorie purchases
among consumers reporting seeing information. A New York City study discovered
that fast food customers who saw calorie information displayed purchased 52 fewer
calories than those who did not see the information.22
The importance of providing calorie information is supported by the fact that Americans
are consuming more meals away from home and these meals are becoming higher
and higher in calories.23, 24, 25, 26 In 2005, Americans spent almost half (48%) of their food
dollars on foods prepared outside the home, in comparison to 26% in 1970.27
In our student survey, an overwhelming majority of students (85%) reported that
they would like their cafeteria to list the fat and calorie content of its menu. While
some cafeterias may have difficulty posting the calorie content of all foods they sell,
every vendor could provide information on at least some foods. The CUNY Board
of Trustees should encourage calorie labeling in all CUNY cafeterias and support a
technical assistance unit staffed by CUNY food and nutrition faculty and students to
assist vendors to post accurate calorie and fat content.
Eliminate “pouring rights” contracts at CUNY.
According to CAD’s student survey, almost half of CUNY students
drink more than 25 ounces of soda weekly. When we eat solid food
our appetite is suppressed but when we drink calories from sweet-
ened beverages our appetite isn’t satisfied so we consume more.
Sweetened beverages are the single biggest source of calories in
the American diet. The average 18 year old male, drinks 35 ounces
daily, or 2,900 calories of sweetened beverages each week, mak-
ing regular soda-drinking one of the nation’s top causes of obe-
sity.28 A Harvard study showed the chance of becoming obese in-
creases 60% with each can of soda one drinks per day.22
“Sometimes I feel like I need
to make an appointment
with a nutritionist just to
know what to eat.”
Medgar Evers Employee
What’s for Lunch?
n 19 n
For these reasons, CAD recommends ending all pouring rights contracts at CUNY and removing soda from campus
vending machines. Individuals have the right to consume what they want but a university has an obligation to set
policies that protect its students’ and employees’ health and reduce rather than increase public health problems.
Consider making selection of a food service vendor a CUNY-wide rather than a campus decision in
order to increase the University’s market influence for healthier more affordable cafeteria food.
Currently, each CUNY campus selects its own food services vendor. While this practice allows campuses to
tailor the contract to their specific needs—and to bargain for a higher return of revenues—it reduces CUNY’s
bargaining power by splitting up its substantial market of students and staff. As shown in Table 1, CUNY currently
has contracts with seven food service companies, two vending machine businesses, while two campuses operate
their own food services. By negotiating a single contract for all its campuses, CUNY could demand better terms—
healthier food, lower costs and a revenue stream dedicated to improved nutrition and lower prices. The CUNY
Campaign Against Diabetes urges the Board of Trustees to examine this option and to report its findings to the
University community.
What each campus can Do:
Require that all campus vending machines snacks contain fewer than
200 calories and that all beverages (other than low fat milk) contain
no more than 25 calories per 8 ounces.
The problem with vending machines is it’s just too easy to get a high fat or sugary
snack or beverage. It’s hard not to feel the urge to eat when you walk by a vending
machine stocked with these types of food. Studies show that in schools the
presence of more vending machines increases the frequency of student snack food
purchases.30 It doesn’t require running out of the building to the corner store or
waiting in line, and choices are generally inexpensive.
As vending machines items are generally less costly
than cafeteria items, they are a feasible method for
implementing nutrition interventions.31
The bottom-line question is: Will students and staff choose the healthier snack
foods and beverages if provided? There is evidence to suggest that they will.32
For example, when Philadelphia schools instituted a no-soda policy in July 2004, sales at vending machines did not
decrease.33 In fact, in 2005 when Miami-Dade County Public Schools restocked its high school vending machines
with healthier snacks, 1% low-fat milk, water and 100% juice, revenue from the beverage and snack machines
increased.27 Under current CUNY policy, each campus negotiates its own vending contract so campus business
offices are positioned to add the provisions suggested here to their contracts.
Decrease the cost of healthy vending selections.
An alternative to banning all junk food from vending machines is to decrease the cost of healthy options.
“Look at their vending
machines, it’s horrible! It’s
like you are in junior high.”
Hostos Faculty
n 20 n
tabLe 8: Percent oF various items in a surveY oF45 venDinG machines on 15 cunY camPuses, sPrinG 2009
Candy 35.7%
Chips – regular 25.2%
Cookies/snack cakes/pastries 13.0%
Chips – low-fat or pretzels 6.8%
Granola/cereal bars 3.9%
Nuts/trail mix 3.3%
Gum 3.2%
Crackers/Chex Mix 3.1%
Crackers with cheese or peanut butter 2.9%
Low-fat cookies and baked goods 1.3%
Popcorn 1.0%
100 calorie pack crackers 0.6%
Bagel chips 0.1%
Research has shown that small price reductions can be an effective means to encourage consumers to
select healthy snacks.34,35,36 One study found that when prices were reduced in vending machines at worksites
and secondary schools, the percentage of lower-fat snack sales increased. Overall, snack sales volume also
significantly increased in the 25% and 50% price reduction conditions while average monthly profits per machine
did not change.31 In a second study, when the price for fresh fruit and baby carrots was cut by 50%, sales of
fresh fruit increased four-fold, and sales of baby carrots doubled.37 Sales returned to baseline levels with the
reinstatement of usual prices. Vendors could use profits from unhealthy foods to subsidize healthier options.
Designate spaces for Green Carts on campuses.
Most Americans do not get the amounts of fruits and vegetables necessary for optimal health and well being. 38,39,40
According to our survey of CUNY students, only 10% consume the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables
daily. It’s hard to argue with the health benefits of a diet rich in vegetables and fruit: weight loss, lower blood pressure
and reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and
probably some cancers. Increasing the accessibility of fresh
fruits and vegetables can be important in changing food
choice behavior.41 It has been clearly shown that increasing
both availability and the promotion of healthier foods
can have a positive effect on secondary school students’
food purchases and on their perceptions about the food
environment at school.42 Interestingly, these results were
achieved without a classroom educational component
or a home-based family component demonstrating the
positive impact of improving the food environment alone.
What’s for Lunch?
n 21 n
In 2008, the New York City Council and Mayor established a Green Carts program to increase the availability of
fresh and affordable produce in New York City’s low income neighborhoods. CAD urges each campus to ask the
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to award additional Green Cart permits to vendors who
agree to sell on or near their campus.
Provide a place to eat that is both comfortable and pleasant.
Undoubtedly the ambiance of a dining facility plays a key role in attracting customers.
Additionally, the social environment on campus or at the worksite is an important
environmental influence on individual food choices.43 Aramark, a Philadelphia-based food
service provider, conducted extensive “DiningStyles” research on high school campuses, to
get a comprehensive, cross-segment look at what students wanted. Based on their findings
they developed a concept for an environment that encourages students to utilize the school
cafeteria. The changes have proved both cost-effective and successful. Same-school sales
increased by an average of 15% to 22% in all locations that added the concept.44 We call
on each CUNY campus to develop specific ways to improve cafeteria environments that
are conducive to a healthy and pleasant eating experience. Currently, almost two-thirds
of CUNY students don’t use campus cafeterias. By making healthier and more affordable
food available in more attractive and comfortable environments, CUNY can contribute to
healthier students, more sociable campuses and increased revenue for vendors and the
University.
excellent
Good
average
Fair/Poor
service cleanliness appearance atmosphere Placement of healthy Food
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
tabLe 9: averaGe environment ratinGs oF 18 cunY caFeterias, sPrinG 2009
The raters based their scores on wait time and helpfulness of staff; the cleanliness of the counters, floors tables and waste receptacles; the appearance of the food (was it appetizing to them); the overall ambiance of the dining facility (was it pleasant and a place one could enjoy a meal); and on how easy it was to locate the healthy food.
n 22 n
Offer healthy food options in cafeterias at an affordabe price.
Reducing the cost of healthy options is an effective strategy to promote healthier food choices.45 The
lower cost of high calorie low nutrient food contributes to the unhealthy food intake patterns observed
among low socioeconomic groups.46 According to our survey, 47% of CUNY students live in households with
annual incomes of $40,000 or less. Thus, they constitute a market sensitive to
price differences. Our finding that healthy items at CUNY cost 52% more than less
healthy choices suggests that current pricing policies may contribute to poor health
particularly among our most vulnerable students and employees.
By requiring food service vendors to provide healthy, readily available and affordable meals the CUNY community
will be able to chose tasty meals that are also inexpensive and convenient. We therefore urge campus business
offices and Enterprise Boards (the campus group that negotiates contracts) to require CUNY food vendors to
offer at least a few healthy meal options each day at prices comparable to or lower than less healthy options.
These healthy options should be marketed aggressively and displayed prominently. Another suggestion is to
make salad free for any paying customer, thus encouraging consumption of vegetables.
Involve students and employees in menu planning.
CUNY students and employees are an extremely ethnically, culturally and academically diverse group. For example,
Medgar Ever is 93% African American, while Hostos Community College is 60% Hispanic and Hunter is 73% non-
white.47 These students would be eager to have a voice in menu planning. Involving those who work and attend
school on each campus in menu planning would allow the tastes and preferences of those attending the institution
to be considered, thus improving the eating environment. The Campaign recommends that each campus require
each vendor to establish a student advisory board that meets at least monthly to discuss menu planning. Once
again, food service vendors can increase revenues by meeting the needs of CUNY’s diverse community.
Provide water coolers and make it easier for students and staff to bring food from home.
While all schools provide water fountains, they are typically found near rest rooms and often in poor
condition. Very few are located in cafeterias or near vending machines. Additionally, it is difficult to fill a
water bottle from a fountain. A water cooler with cups or a
water fountain designed to allow the filling of containers,
located in the dining facility and near vending machines,
would give individuals the choice between an expensive,
high calorie, highly sweetened beverage or a free glass
of water to quench their thirst. This would also reduce
the environmental threat from disposable plastic water
bottles. Metropolitan Food Service has taken a step in
the right direction and now offers filtered water at City
College. However, there is a 50-cent charge.
“There is healthy food
we can buy, but it
is too expensive.”
Hunter Employee
What’s for Lunch?
n 23 n
Additionally, microwaves and refrigerators would entice more employees and students to “brown bag” and stretch
their food budget. Food prepared at home is less expensive, has less fat and fewer calories than food purchased
outside the home.48
Require nutrition education in all freshman seminar classes and offer other campus-based
opportunities to learn about nutrition, healthy eating and cooking.
Curriculum related to healthy eating and choosing appropriate food options should be
included in all freshmen seminar classes, the orientation sessions CUNY offers for most
new students. Such guidance has the potential to reach thousands of CUNY students and
indirectly their families and friends. Teaching young people is vital to reverse the epidemics
of obesity and diabetes. To assist with this endeavor, the Campaign has developed a
nutrition education module designed to motivate college students to make more healthful,
affordable food choices and to increase their awareness of the individual and societal
causes and consequences of poor eating habits. This module is available to all CUNY faculty
at: cuny.edu/diabetes.
What individuals can Do:
Eat less and move more!
Don’t eat more food than your body needs. Most college students have a life that is filled with hours of sitting and
studying, drinking pints of beer on the weekends and chowing down on fast food which results in the dreaded “fresh-
men 15,” extra weight gained in the first year of college. CUNY students may have more demanding lives than other col-
lege students but they have the same high rates of obesity and overweight as other young New Yorkers. Daily calorie
needs vary greatly depending on your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. Determine your calorie requirement
by going to: http://www.healthfinder.gov/docs/doc08652.htm. Don’t exceed your caloric needs!
Don’t drink your calories.
Soft drinks and other sweetened beverages are the single biggest source of
calories in the American diet, providing about 9% of calories for adults and 13%
for teenagers.28 Drink only water, skim milk and calorie free beverages.
Enjoy plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Do you eat 2 to 4 servings of fruit and 3 to 5 servings of vegetables daily? The
majority of CUNY students don’t. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and
are packed with nutrients vital for good health. Avoid fruit juices and drinks
which can contain up to ten teaspoons of sugar per cup; and limit fried vegetables or ones smothered in
dressings or sauces – you may still get the vitamins, but you’ll be getting a lot of unhealthy fat and extra calories
as well. Fruits and vegetables should be part of every meal, and your first choice for a snack. So, stop and shop at that
Green Cart or fruit and vegetable store you pass on the way to school!
“I walked past the
burgers, chicken
tenders and French
fries to find it. SUSHI!
Hunter College has
sushi! Now when I get
hungry, I know where to
go for food--
Hunter’s cafeteria!”
Hunter Student
n 24 n
Have some soup.
Soup can be a great low-cal, low-fat satisfying meal. But it can also be a
pretty bad choice. Avoid cream-based soups, as well as those made with
cheese and fatty meats (that means Cheddar Cheese Bacon Soup and Cream
of Broccoli Soup are NOT good choices!) Choose clear broth based soups
that are full of veggies, lean meat, beans, and/or grains, such as chicken
noodle, vegetable, minestrone or lentil soup.
Build a better sandwich.
Choose bread, rolls, pitas or wraps made from whole grains. Fill up the sandwich with vegetables. If you’re buying
a pre-made sandwich, pick up some extra veggies from the salad bar and add them to the sandwich. Avoid fatty
meats such as bologna, salami and pastrami. Stick to turkey, roast beef, chicken and ham. And stay clear of mayo-
based fillings such as tuna salad which can contain between 400 and 500 calories and 30 or more grams of fat per
serving. Add condiments such as mustard, salsa, vinegar or low fat dressings from the salad bar.
Visit the salad bar.
If your cafeteria has a salad bar load up your plate with lots of fresh vegetables like leafy greens, cucumbers,
tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers and carrots. To round out the meal add lean protein such as chicken, turkey or
egg whites. Try salads made with beans, lentils and different grains for extra fiber. Don’t destroy your salad by
dousing it with heavy dressing. Stick with fat-free dressings, low fat dressing, lemon juice or vinegar. No low-cal
or low-fat salad dressing on display? Ask! Sometimes the food service will have some fat-free packets available
or you can make your own with a few splashes of vinegar or some lemon juice and a little oil. All salads are not
created equal. If you choose lots of creamy dressing, bacon bits, mayonnaise based salads, oil, croutons and
cheese the calories and fat may equal or even exceed those of a burger and fries and cost much more.
Listen to your body.
Before you grab that snack, ask yourself
if you are really hungry. You may actually
be bored, stressed or enticed by the sight
of the donut counter. We eat for many
reasons, but hunger is the only good one.
So, if you are not hungry, don’t eat. During a meal, stop eating before
you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your
body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly. Eating just enough
to satisfy your hunger will help you remain alert, relaxed and feeling
your best.
“It is great that I can get
brown rice and steamed
or stir-fried veggies
quickly and regularly.”
Kingsborough Faculty
What’s for Lunch?
n 25 n
Demand change!
Let your feelings about cafeteria food choices be known. If your cafeteria isn’t offering enough healthful options,
speak to the manager, write a letter or better yet start a petition. Make specific suggestions such as grilled chicken
rather than chicken nuggets, steamed vegetables rather than veggies drowning in butter, whole grain bread as op-
posed to white bread, vegetable omelets in lieu of cheese and bacon ones and request a wide variety of fresh fruit.
Join the CUNY Campaign Against Diabetes.
The Campaign works with students around the uni-
versity to change food and physical activity policies,
develop programs and educate students, faculty
and staff about health, obesity and diabetes. Do you
want to survey the food in your cafeteria or organize
a campaign to improve food on your campus? Call,
email or visit us at the addresses below so you can
be part of the movement to make CUNY the healthi-
est urban university in the Country.
email us to Learn about campaign Programs
To learn how to manage your diabetes: [email protected]
To join a CUNY walking group: [email protected]
To apply for student diabetes workshops: [email protected]
To ask a question about nutrition or diabetes: [email protected]
To volunteer to join the campaign: [email protected]
campaign against Diabetes [email protected]
Phone: 212 817-1888
www.CUNY.edu/diabetes
The Graduate Center
365 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10016
n 26 n
Although public health interest in environmental approaches to health behavior interventions has been growing,
valid and reliable measures for assessing the food and physical activity environments in the workplace and on
college campuses are lacking.49,43 Thus, our first step was to develop instruments to assess food options for
students. Two focus areas were selected: the main cafeteria on each campus and vending machines. In future
work, we will also examine food availability in the commercial outlets surrounding CUNY campuses and the
availability and condition of campus exercise facilities.
Eighteen CUNY campuses were visited by at least two students enrolled in the Hunter College nutrition or public
health programs. The students were trained and supervised by a registered dietitian who is a doctoral student in
public health. Since both objective and subjective environments appear to be important influences on food and
physical activity behaviors,50, 51, 52 we also conducted a separate survey of students at three campuses to better
understand their perceptions of the food environment at CUNY.
To evaluate the food served at CUNY, an instrument was developed that focused on three areas: atmosphere,
availability, and cost. This tool allowed the surveyors to rate the environment, on a scale of one to five, in terms
of cleanliness, customer service, food appearance, food placement and overall atmosphere. It also enabled the
surveyors to make a quantitative assessment of the number of healthy cold food items, hot food items and salad
bar items. Criteria were established to judge a food as healthy or unhealthy. A food was rated as healthy if it met
the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These guidelines encourage lean proteins, limiting fat (specifically
saturated and trans fat), sugar and sodium. The surveyors were given specific procedures to rate several categories
of food including; proteins, combination entrees, vegetables, grains and legumes. To make the survey manageable
breakfast foods, desserts, condiments and beverages were not individually rated. Availability of low fat milk, free
tap water, low fat salad dressings fruit and vegetables were noted. These simple dichotomous ratings, (healthy/
not healthy, available/not available) were established for convenience and because we did not have access to the
specific nutrient content of foods to make a more precise assessment of nutritional value. A cost comparison was
made of five or six foods rated healthy versus five or six comparable items rated unhealthy on each campus.
To obtain a representative sample of vending machines, surveyors were instructed to record the items sold in the first
three snack machines they noticed upon entering the building. A Survey of School Vending Machines, available from the
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), was chosen to evaluate campus vending machines.53 This tool was used
in nationwide survey of 1,402 vending machines in middle schools and high schools and found that eighty-five percent
of the snacks sold from vending machines are of poor nutritional value.53 CSPI found that of the snack foods sold in the
machines, candy (42%), chips (25%) and sweet baked goods (13%) accounted for eighty percent of the options. Of 9,723
snack slots in all the vending machines surveyed, only 26 slots contained fruits or vegetables.53 Thus, it was deemed
important to assess the food available in vending machines as it is a significant part of the food environment.
aPPenDix a: methoDs
n 27 n
aPPenDix b: Limitations
Several factors limit the validity and generalizability of our findings. First, we did not measure the absolute
nutrient content of menu items because we did not have knowledge of ingredients or recipes used. Second,
several of the food service managers made it difficult for the surveyors to assess the food available and in fact
some asked the students to leave, making it difficult to complete a full assessment. Since most cafeterias were
only visited on one occasion by two students we did not think it was fair to disclose the individual cafeterias that
were considered by the surveyors to be dirty, have poor service or unappetizing food. While we did not test
inter-rater reliability, we believe that the collective descriptions of the cafeteria and food, provide an accurate
assessment of the overall environment at CUNY as ratings were made by six students with extensive background
in the subject matter and thorough training on the methods and instrument used to complete the assessments.
n 28 n
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Campaign Against [email protected] 817-1888CUNY.edu/diabetesThe Graduate Center365 Fifth AvenueNew York, NY 10016
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